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It’s time for Boris Johnson to quit as London’s mayor | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/02/boris-johnson-quit-london-mayor-ambitions-leader-tory-party
With ambitions to be an MP and to lead the Tory party, Johnson isn’t giving his current job the attention it deserves<p>Boris Johnson, you may have heard, is London’s mayor. He is scheduled to do the job until May 2016. What difference would it make if he packed in the job today? In one way, it would matter a great deal: a mayoral byelection would be held and, <a href="http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/london-mayoral-election-2016/next-mayor" title="">if the bookies are right</a>, put a Labour candidate in City Hall. In another way, nothing substantial would change. For years Johnson’s opponents have called him a part-time mayor. Lately the jibe is starting to ring true.</p><p>Johnson spent last Thursday in Bedford, Corby and Northampton, <a href="http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/mayor-of-london-boris-johnson-enjoys-a-rockstar-welcome-at-university-of-northampton-1-6389532" title="">receiving a “rock star welcome”</a> in key marginal parliamentary seats. He has lately devoted time to writing <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/31/critical-eye-book-reviews-roundup" title="">a biography of Winston Churchill</a> in which is embedded “a wishful self-portrait” of its author, according to a <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/books-feature/9347142/the-churchill-factor-by-boris-johnson-review/" title="">review in the Spectator</a>. It&nbsp;is claimed he took to bunking off on Fridays to complete the manuscript.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/02/boris-johnson-quit-london-mayor-ambitions-leader-tory-party">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonConservativesPoliticsLondonUK newsSun, 02 Nov 2014 15:39:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/02/boris-johnson-quit-london-mayor-ambitions-leader-tory-partyPhotograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ImagesBoris Johnson shows a strong right on a visit to a London boxing academy. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ImagesBoris Johnson shows a strong right on a visit to a London boxing academy. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ImagesDave Hill2014-11-02T15:39:42ZBoris Johnson’s standing as an MP. Brace yourself for Bozza-mania | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/06/boris-johnson-mp-ambition-buffoonery-david-cameron
Behind Johnson's gargantuan ambition and buffoonery lies a rare intellectual consistency. This could be deadly for Cameron<p>Boris Johnson’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/06/boris-johnson-stand-mp-2015-general-election" title="">admission that he will “in all probability” seek to return to parliament at next year’s general election</a> comes as a relief after the endless months of speculation, but also triggers the start of the next unending orgy of media fascination about his plans for becoming leader of the Conservative party, leader of the country and, should the opportunity present itself, leader of the universe too.</p><p>Not that this is irrelevant. Far from it. Whatever doubts voters may have about the suitability of “good old Boris” for high national office, none should question his gargantuan ambition. A <a href="http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110882" title="">conviction Friedmanite, greed is his creed</a>. His policy on cake, as <a href="http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110882" title="">he likes people to know, is to have it and eat it in large amounts</a>.</p><p>Great news that Boris plans to stand at next year's general election - I've always said I want my star players on the pitch.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/06/boris-johnson-mp-ambition-buffoonery-david-cameron">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonPoliticsConservativesDavid CameronLondonUK newsMargaret ThatcherWed, 06 Aug 2014 11:32:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/06/boris-johnson-mp-ambition-buffoonery-david-cameronPhotograph: Yui Mok/PADavid Cameron 'surely knows better than anyone that Johnson will never be anyone's player but his own.' Photograph: Yui Mok/PAPhotograph: Yui Mok/PADavid Cameron 'surely knows better than anyone that Johnson will never be anyone's player but his own.' Photograph: Yui Mok/PADave Hill2014-08-06T11:32:45ZLondon's skyline is less important than the people living in it | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/28/london-skyline-people-living-objections-skyscrapers
Aesthetic objections to skyscrapers often fade over time, but whether the buildings serve the majority matters so much more<p>Even the holiest tall building symbolises someone's idea of sin, as the small case of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/01/st-pauls-cathedral-300-years-on" title="">St Paul's cathedral</a> shows. Barely had Christopher Wren's Protestant pile raised London's skyline to a new record height of 111 metres than it was being damned as showy, gaudy and practically papist. Today, it seems bizarre that a building so synonymous with the capital and its survival of the blitz should have been seen as a bit dodgy and foreign. But that's the thing about skyscraping – it brings stuff down on your head.</p><p>Completed in 1710, St Paul's remained London's tallest building until 1962. Now its dwarfing by successors is just one of the reasons they in turn are so often objects of suspicion, disapproval and assault. The large exceptions prove the general rule. Last week we learned that one of the Square Mile's newer big arrivals, at 30 St Mary Axe, has gone into receivership. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/apr/24/gherkin-financial-pickle-london-tower-sale" title="">The Gherkin</a>, as it's known to its friends, is unusual in being popular – Londoners' favourite according to a recent poll. Perhaps it has suffered for being insufficiently attacked.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/28/london-skyline-people-living-objections-skyscrapers">Continue reading...</a>ArchitectureLondonUK newsArt and designPlanning policyPoliticsCitiesMon, 28 Apr 2014 11:20:24 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/28/london-skyline-people-living-objections-skyscrapersPeter Macdiarmid/Getty ImagesThe BT Tower. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty ImagesEddie Keogh/ReutersThe Shard. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/ReutersFrantzesco KangarisHousing on the West Kensington Estate, with the Empress State building in the background. Photograph: Frantzesco KangarisFrantzesco KangarisHousing on the West Kensington Estate, with the Empress State building in the background. Photograph: Frantzesco KangarisDave Hill2014-04-28T11:20:24ZWhy the new gentrified EastEnders will be a must-watch | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/29/new-eastenders-gentrified-must-watch
Booming house prices, fancy bread, grouse at the corner shop – the speed of change in the real East End has been astonishing and the dramatic potential is endless<p>The other Sunday, lacking the will to cook, my wife and I faced a dilemma that couldn't have arisen a year ago. Which welcoming restaurant only a short walk from our front door would we tumble into with our kids? Across the road the reclaimed hulk of a once gunshot-scarred pub offered traditional roasts, a place next to a charity shop was <a href="http://davehill.typepad.com/claptonian/2013/10/coming-soon-maeves-stews-and-brews.html" title="">dishing up homely stews</a> and who knew what drooling delights might be served in the <a href="http://davehill.typepad.com/claptonian/2013/10/upstairs-at-palm-2.html" title="">refurbished space</a> above the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2013/dec/25/christmas-day-east-london-2013" title="">much-loved corner shop</a> where, unbelievably, we'd eaten grouse a few weeks before.</p><p>Unbelievably, because the nearest thing to a moor in our neck of the woods is Hackney Marshes, and because when I moved into our home in east London 22 years ago the idea of such a culinary option could only have been satirical. Nowadays, it's reality that invites parody. The speed and intensity of gentrification is amazing. How will EastEnders cope?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/29/new-eastenders-gentrified-must-watch">Continue reading...</a>EastEndersSoap operaDramaTelevisionLondonHousingCommunitiesSocietyUK newsWed, 29 Jan 2014 10:59:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/29/new-eastenders-gentrified-must-watchSarah Lee/GuardianFassett Square in Hackney, east London, the model for EastEnders's Albert Square. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the GuardianSarah Lee/GuardianFassett Square in Hackney, east London, the model for EastEnders's Albert Square. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the GuardianDave Hill2014-01-29T10:59:12ZDon't give money to beggars – help them instead | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/dont-give-money-beggars-help-them
Most rough sleepers don't beg and most beggars aren't rough sleepers. Give your money to a relevant charity<p>Amazing change is taking place in my neck of the woods. Every few days it seems a new restaurant opens its doors, a laptop cafe pops up, or a stripped-down vintage shop appears. Gentrification, <a href="http://davehill.typepad.com/claptonian/gentrification/" title="">sweeping eastwards across London</a> towards the Olympic Park, is transforming the landscape. House prices are going through the roof. But amid the organic veg mounds and coffee fetishists one feature of neighbourhood life remains the same – the daily presence of beggars on the streets.</p><p>What is to be done? It's easier to say what shouldn't – easier, at least, as in clearer. That is, you shouldn't give beggars money. The argument for what at first glance can seem like hard-heartedness is not new but worth repeating. Jeremy Swain, chief executive of the London homelessness charity <a href="http://www.thamesreach.org.uk/" title="">Thames Reach</a>, has lately made the case again under the stark heading <a href="http://jeremyswain.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/killing-with-kindness.html" title="">Killing with kindness</a>.&quot;I am fascinated by the impulses that lead us to give money to people begging on the street,&quot; he writes. &quot;In fact, to be candid, I am frequently left incredulous at the justification given for dropping money into the cap next to the sign that says 'hungry and homeless'.&quot;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/dont-give-money-beggars-help-them">Continue reading...</a>Social exclusionHomelessnessSocietyDrugsHousingUK newsFri, 06 Dec 2013 11:11:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/dont-give-money-beggars-help-themJohn Robertson/AlamyMost rough sleepers don’t beg and most beggars aren’t rough sleepers, charities point out. Photograph: John Robertson/AlamyJohn Robertson/AlamyMost rough sleepers don’t beg and most beggars aren’t rough sleepers, charities point out. Photograph: John Robertson/AlamyDave Hill2013-12-06T11:11:33ZCyclists aren't the only ones who should worry about road safety in London | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/london-cyclists-road-safety-boris-johnson
Pedestrian deaths remain much higher than those of bike users, and Boris Johnson prioritising drivers isn't helping matters<p>Six cyclists killed in a fortnight in London and the city's roads have become a battleground – a highly political one. The capital's cycling lobby – young, energetic and media-wise – has launched a strong assault on Boris Johnson, London's &quot;cycling mayor&quot;, questioning his commitment to cyclists' safety and accusing him of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/20/blaming-cyclists-road-deaths-bike-helmets-headphones" title="">victim-blaming</a>. The media, smelling blood, has fallen into pack formation.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/london-cyclists-road-safety-boris-johnson">Continue reading...</a>Road safetyTransport policyTransportPoliticsLondonUK newsCyclingLife and styleBoris JohnsonKen LivingstoneFri, 22 Nov 2013 13:08:32 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/london-cyclists-road-safety-boris-johnsonStefan Wermuth/REUTERS'What cyclists really need is a bold strategy for roads encompassing them along with others; tailored measures to calm traffic … and create street environments conducive to walking, shopping and socialising.'
Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/REUTERSDave Hill2013-11-22T13:08:32ZHow can London fix its housing crisis? | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/11/how-to-fix-london-housing-crisis
Everyone agrees that far more homes need to be built, but what kind, where and by whom? Your wise thoughts on ways forward are welcome<p>We Londoners have long bored for Britain about bricks and mortar, but our preoccupation now reflects a state of emergency – a crisis enveloping more and more of the city's people and changing its neighbourhoods for the worse.</p><p>It is a crisis with <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2013/oct/28/london-housing-crisis" title="">several causes but linked effects</a>: the price of buying a home is soaring, the number for social rent is falling and an expensive, often perilous, private rented sector is expanding into the gap. The impacts are extending across London's broad social spectrum as an inflated property market excludes more of the middle class and government policies fail in their own terms and make bad situations worse.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/11/how-to-fix-london-housing-crisis">Continue reading...</a>HousingLondonUK newsCommunitiesSocietyHousing marketReal estateBusinessMon, 11 Nov 2013 14:35:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/11/how-to-fix-london-housing-crisisAlamyYoung woman looking at houses in estate agent window London England UK.AlamyYoung woman looking at houses in estate agent window London England UK.Dave Hill2013-11-11T14:35:37ZBoris Johnson's five-year confidence trick | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/boris-johnson-five-year-confidence-trick
The London mayor has published his vision of London, seeking to attach some ballast to the Boris balloon. It doesn't succeed<p>It <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/boris-johnson-spends-160000-of-our-money-to-tell-us-what-he-does-8594255.html" title="">recently emerged</a> that Boris Johnson, the most popular politician in the land, is spending &pound;160,000 of public funds to find out why so few people know what he actually does as London mayor – quite an outlay when the reason is so plain.</p><p>Johnson and the bulk of broadcasters and press have long colluded in fostering the giggly misperception that the mayor isn't really a politician at all but some kind of national stage invader whose role is to be David Cameron's pantomime rival, occasionally breaking off to hike the price of travelling by bus. No wonder the public feels uninformed.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/boris-johnson-five-year-confidence-trick">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonPoliticsLondonUK newsConservativesWed, 12 Jun 2013 10:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/boris-johnson-five-year-confidence-trickAndrew Matthews/PALondon's mayor, Boris Johnson, launches his 2020 Vision for London at City Hall this week. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAAndrew Matthews/PALondon's mayor, Boris Johnson, launches his 2020 Vision for London at City Hall this week. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PADave Hill2013-06-12T10:30:00ZLet's hope the Boris Johnson bubble has burst – for London's sake | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/boris-johnson-bubble-burst-london-sake
Eddie Mair's barb may finally have brought Brand Boris down to earth. He's been allowed to operate unchecked for too long<p>Such is the market penetration of Brand Boris that two days after <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/mar/24/boris-johnson-integrity-ambitions" title="">Eddie Mair's Teflon-scratching interview</a>, Johnson still dominates the headlines. It's a phenomenon barely challenged by the bulk of those paid to hold politicians to account. Johnson is so feather-bedded by broadcasters and press that Slumberland should name a mattress after him. Even unflattering coverage, such as he sometimes receives from the two-faced moralists of the Mail, concentrates on the appetites, the ambitions and larger-than-lifeness, to the exclusion of what he does and doesn't do in the post of London mayor.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/boris-johnson-bubble-burst-london-sake">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonLondonConservativesPoliticsEddie MairMediaUK newsTue, 26 Mar 2013 13:22:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/boris-johnson-bubble-burst-london-sakeBBC via Getty ImagesBoris Johnson looking uncomfortable as Eddie Mair interviews him on BBC's Andrew Marr Show. Photograph: BBC via Getty ImagesDave Hill2013-03-26T13:22:40ZRough sleeping in London is soaring – what was that pledge, Boris Johnson? | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/14/rough-sleeping-london-soaring-boris-johnson
London's mayor promised in 2009 to end rough sleeping, but the housing crisis is compounding a complex problem<p>I went to the West End the other night, not to shop but to watch. On one side of a narrow road just north of a glimmering Oxford Street, London drinkers, undeterred by the cold, made merry outside a pub before heading home. On the other side, a much quieter group gathered round the open rear door of a charity's soup run van. Most of them had no home to go to.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/14/rough-sleeping-london-soaring-boris-johnson">Continue reading...</a>HomelessnessBoris JohnsonPoliticsLondonUK newsLondon politicsSocial exclusionHousingSocietyLocal governmentLocal politicsCommunitiesFri, 14 Dec 2012 07:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/14/rough-sleeping-london-soaring-boris-johnsonAlamy'The presence of rough sleepers amid the city’s most conspicuous avenues of wealth is a perennial troubler of the urban conscience.' Photograph: AlamyAlamy'The presence of rough sleepers amid the city’s most conspicuous avenues of wealth is a perennial troubler of the urban conscience.' Photograph: AlamyDave Hill2012-12-14T07:00:04ZWest Ham's stadium move will define the Olympic Games' legacy | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/06/west-ham-olympic-stadium-legacy
The football club can ensure that talk of regeneration and 'convergence' does not price out the traditional community<p>West Ham United is, once again, lined up to occupy the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/dec/05/west-ham-highest-ranked-bidder-olympic-stadium" title="">post-Games Olympic Stadium</a>, golden heart of London 2012. For the club this could mean ascent to football's super elite. For London's mayor, Boris Johnson, it could avert the threat of embarrassment in white elephant form. The need of all concerned, Johnson in particular, to proclaim that the taxpayer won't be fleeced must now be met if the deal is to be sealed. I hope it is. But whether it would represent &quot;a true and lasting legacy for east London&quot;, as <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/20611708" title="">Hammers' vice-chairman Karren Brady has claimed</a>, depends a lot on what you're looking for.</p><p>The big legacy picture that Games advocates have always drawn features more than a thriving sports bowl in a handsome park. It sketches an East End liberated from decades of struggle and neglect, from being the poor relation of London's rich centre and affluent west. &quot;<a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/publication/strategic-regeneration-framework-east-london" title="">Convergence</a>&quot; is the signature term here, summarising the Olympic host boroughs' aim of raising their residents' social profile stats – employment, life expectancy, school exam grades and so on – up to levels for the capital as a whole.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/06/west-ham-olympic-stadium-legacy">Continue reading...</a>West Ham UnitedFootballOlympic StadiumSportCommunitiesSocietyBoris JohnsonPoliticsLondonUK newsOlympicsThu, 06 Dec 2012 09:59:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/06/west-ham-olympic-stadium-legacyAnthony Charlton/AP'Turning the Olympic stadium claret and blue would itself symbolise an economic landscape shift'. Photograph: Anthony Charlton/APAnthony Charlton/AP'Turning the Olympic stadium claret and blue would itself symbolise an economic landscape shift'. Photograph: Anthony Charlton/APDave Hill2012-12-06T09:59:35ZIf London is now a 'can-do' city, what can it do with the Olympic spoils? | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/14/london-olympic-spoils
Maybe Boris Johnson is right about an investment bonanza – but the Olympic legacy is meant to benefit ordinary East Enders<p>One of the media's more seductive Olympics tunes urged us to marvel at a capital transformed. London 2011 was flaming and riot-torn, it sang, but London 2012 is glowing with glory, civility and efficiency.</p><p>The previous summer was behind us. The true character of the city had been revealed, the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/london-riots" title="">shocking horrors of last August</a> buried by history.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/14/london-olympic-spoils">Continue reading...</a>Olympic legacyOlympic Games 2012SportUK newsLondonBoris JohnsonLondon politicsRegenerationCitiesOlympicsTue, 14 Aug 2012 12:09:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/14/london-olympic-spoilsNeil Hall/Reuters'Some will always feel they’ve been sold a false dream.' Photograph: Neil Hall/ReutersNeil Hall/Reuters'Some will always feel they’ve been sold a false dream.' Photograph: Neil Hall/ReutersDave Hill2012-08-14T12:09:45ZLondon 2012: don't be a sceptic – this isn't just about the Games | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/17/london-2012-regeneration-east-london
Take a step back and recognise this will all be worthwhile if it helps east London catch up with the rest of the capital<p>I long ago got bored with being an Olympics sceptic. Where's the challenge? Where's the joy in simply lowing along with the media herd?</p><p>Of course, the whole thing seethes with absurdity. There are those <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18766547" title="">&quot;reassurance&quot; missiles</a> planted on people's roofs, which if used would ensure that terror jets crash and burn in several bits of London rather than one. Behold, the fattest disposable McDonald's you've ever seen at an event that's meant to inspire us to love the gym. How about those <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/16/chinese-olympic-hurdler-london-weather" title="">shivering</a> sports stars spending <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/16/london-2012-bus-lost-olympic-village?newsfeed=true" title="">four lost hours</a> on a bus from Heathrow to the athletes' village when train and tube would have wafted them to Stratford in 90 minutes tops?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/17/london-2012-regeneration-east-london">Continue reading...</a>Olympic legacyOlympic Games 2012RegenerationLondonCommunitiesSportSocietyUK newsOlympicsTue, 17 Jul 2012 13:02:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/17/london-2012-regeneration-east-londonGuardianWithout the Olympic Games, would a fraction of the £9bn spent have been forthcoming for the east London boroughs? Photograph: GuardianGuardianWithout the Olympic Games, would a fraction of the £9bn spent have been forthcoming for the east London boroughs? Photograph: GuardianDave Hill2012-07-17T13:02:53ZBoris Johnson overseeing education could be what London needs | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/06/boris-johnson-education-london
Has the mayor detected a chance to make a substantial mark on the capital after four years of low achievement?<p>England's big city authorities are gradually acquiring greater powers. The eight largest outside London – Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield – are to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/05/city-deals-eight-cities-greater-control" title="">secure more control</a> over the core concerns of transport, planning and the broad field of education and skills. This last area strikes a particular chord. Sheffield council leader Julie Dore says there were seven engineering jobs in her city for every young Sheffield resident who trained for an engineering qualification. She thinks cities can address that sort of mismatch better than national government can.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/06/boris-johnson-education-london">Continue reading...</a>London politicsPoliticsUK newsBoris JohnsonLondonEducationEducation policyCareersFri, 06 Jul 2012 15:59:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/06/boris-johnson-education-londonBen Stansall/AFP/Getty ImagesBoris Johnson Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty ImagesBen Stansall/AFP/Getty ImagesBoris Johnson Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty ImagesDave Hill2012-07-06T15:59:14ZSo, Boris Johnson remains mayor – and it's not all Ken Livingstone's fault | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/04/boris-johnson-mayor-ken-livingstone
It was nail-bitingly close but, despite his terrible record, Johnson won. Who's to blame for this triumph of image over substance?<p>Boris Johnson's narrow re-election as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/london-mayoral-election-2012" title="">London's executive mayor</a> is a shiny consolation for a Conservative party battered in elections elsewhere, but a glum result for London and for the institution of London mayor itself. In 2008 Johnson inherited good policies and big budgets from his Labour predecessor Ken Livingstone, whom he has vanquished for a second time. But the celebrity Tory begins his second term with less cash and little ideological inclination to put the recently increased powers at his disposal to good use.</p><p>His first four years were characterised by much civic jollity of the type associated with ceremonial, gold-chain mayors and, in policy terms, an ever-closer conformity to Tory type – a journey confirmed two years ago by the arrival of David Cameron in No&nbsp;10. His over-reported rivalry with his fellow Conservative has helped conceal the two men's shared political goals, illustrated in Johnson's case by the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/may/02/news-international-boris-johnson-leveson" title="">cultivation of links with powerful media</a> and business interests, a preoccupation with cutting &quot;waste&quot; whatever the consequences and, most importantly, a regressive approach to urban development dignified as &quot;listening to Londoners&quot;.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/04/boris-johnson-mayor-ken-livingstone">Continue reading...</a>London mayoral election 2012Boris JohnsonKen LivingstoneSocietyLondon politicsLocal governmentUK newsLondonMayoral electionsPoliticsFri, 04 May 2012 22:57:36 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/04/boris-johnson-mayor-ken-livingstoneDenis Jones / Associated Newspap/Denis Jones / Associated Newspap'It's hard to imagine a figure so big and so immersed in London politics [as Ken Livingstone] disappearing from them yet.' Photograph: Denis Jones / Associated NewspapDenis Jones / Associated Newspap/Denis Jones / Associated Newspap'It's hard to imagine a figure so big and so immersed in London politics [as Ken Livingstone] disappearing from them yet.' Photograph: Denis Jones / Associated NewspapDave Hill2012-05-04T22:57:36ZVoting Jenny Jones for London mayor is a luxury I can afford | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/02/jenny-jones-london-mayor-voting
London's voting system means second preferences will make a difference to the 'real' race. What are your voting dilemmas?<p>I would like Jenny Jones of the Green party to be London's next mayor. <a href="http://www.jennyforlondon.org/" title="">Her manifesto</a> combines idealism and practicality in a widescreen vision for the capital that favours small business over large, champions localism and equality, contains measures for addressing London's desperate housing crisis, demands police reform and sees the economic and environmental logic of moving the motor vehicle to the bottom of the capital's transport hierarchy. Her London sounds like a good place to live.</p><p>I've tested my policy preferences at both <a href="http://www.votematch.org.uk" title="">Vote Match</a> and the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/27/guardian-london-mayoral-building-machine" title="">Guardian's magnificent mayor machine</a> and come out more Green than anything else. Jones herself is an effective, experienced and industrious <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/profile/jenny-jones" title="">London assembly member</a>, who would be perfectly capable of running City Hall. What's more, there seems to be more overlap between <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/manifesto-for-model-mayor-crowdsourcing" title="">Comment is free's crowdsourced manifesto for a model mayor</a> and the programme proposed by Jones than that of any other candidate.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/02/jenny-jones-london-mayor-voting">Continue reading...</a>London mayoral election 2012London politicsLocal governmentJenny JonesKen LivingstoneBoris JohnsonSiobhan BenitaLondonMayoral electionsPoliticsSocietyGreen partyLabourUK newsWed, 02 May 2012 11:11:55 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/02/jenny-jones-london-mayor-votingGraeme Robertson/Graeme RobertsonJenny Jones, the Green party mayoral candidate. Photograph: Graeme RobertsonGraeme Robertson/Graeme RobertsonJenny Jones, the Green party mayoral candidate. Photograph: Graeme RobertsonDave Hill2012-05-02T11:11:55ZNewham's housing saga is just the latest episode in a larger London story | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/27/newham-housing-saga-london
The borough's attempts to house benefit claimants elsewhere is representative of a collapse in affordability in the capital<p>News that the London borough of Newham, one of the capital's least plush areas, has responded to the impact of government housing benefit caps by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/24/london-exporting-council-tenants" title="">seeking alternative accommodation in Stoke</a> for some of its poorest residents has had Conservative politicians pointing fingers and clutching fig leaves at the same time. Some instructive self-exposure has ensued.</p><p>Housing minister Grant Shapps accused the Labour-run authority of &quot;playing politics&quot; and claimed that private sector rents were falling, thereby making King Canute look like a realist. Boris Johnson, London's Tory mayor, insists that mass outward migration won't occur. He's been doing that for <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/25/boris-johnson-housing-benefit-denials-looking-thin" title="">18 months</a>, yet allies in true-blue boroughs have already explored <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/24/tory-westminster-council-tenants-derby?intcmp=239" title="">population export options in Derby</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/london-homeless-forced-move-hull" title="">Hull</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/27/newham-housing-saga-london">Continue reading...</a>HousingCommunitiesSocietyHousing benefitBenefitsWelfareLondon politicsPoliticsLondonUK newsFri, 27 Apr 2012 08:30:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/27/newham-housing-saga-londonBloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images'The irony of Newham is that it is the vanguard Olympic borough, scripted to be at the thriving heart of the capital’s triumphant eastwards regeneration.' Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images'The irony of Newham is that it is the vanguard Olympic borough, scripted to be at the thriving heart of the capital’s triumphant eastwards regeneration.' Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDave Hill2012-04-27T08:30:01ZLondon needs a champion, and Johnson doesn't qualify | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/23/london-needs-a-champion
More Conservative policies on&nbsp;jobs, housing and crime is not what this divided capital needs from its mayor<p>'Don't vote for a joke,&quot; <a href="http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/livingstone-urges-londoners-dont-vote-for-a-joke/20081141" title="">begged Ken Livingstone's mayoral campaign in 2008</a> as it fought to prevent comedy Conservative Boris Johnson taking the&nbsp;stage at London's City Hall. The appeal was in vain. &quot;Good old Boris&quot;, such a laugh, became Britain's most powerful Tory until trumped two years later by his Eton chum David Cameron's move into No 10. What a difference a general election has made.</p><p>At first, Johnson's win was no catastrophe. He had Livingstone projects to complete and Labour government cash to spend. He made cuts but invested, too. Some termed his approach &quot;Ken-lite&quot;. Johnson backed the <a href="http://www.citizensuk.org/campaigns/living-wage-campaign/" title="">London Living Wage</a> – a voluntary higher rate than the statutory national minimum, reflecting the capital's crazy living costs – and lobbied for amnesties for irregular migrants.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/23/london-needs-a-champion">Continue reading...</a>London mayoral election 2012SocietyLondon politicsLocal governmentUK newsLondonMayoral electionsPoliticsBoris JohnsonKen LivingstoneMon, 23 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/23/london-needs-a-championOli Scarff/Getty Images'Boris Johnson promised action against violent youth crime, but almost nothing has been achieved. Experts belatedly consulted have called his programme “a shambles"'. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesOli Scarff/Getty Images'Boris Johnson promised action against violent youth crime, but almost nothing has been achieved. Experts belatedly consulted have called his programme “a shambles"'. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesDave Hill2012-04-23T18:30:00ZHow Ken Livingstone fares in the battle of the manifestos | Dave Hillhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/12/ken-livingstone-manifesto-london-mayor
Across transport, policing and housing, Ken's manifesto looks better than Boris's – but don't overlook Jenny Jones<p>The best London mayoral manifesto <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/manifesto-for-model-mayor-crowdsourcing" title="">was published a fortnight ago</a>. A rich political hybrid of orange, red and green with a liberal splash of blue, it was written by me but oozed contributions from hundreds of you. How weak are the efforts of the real candidates next to those of our imagined model mayor! How feeble! How frail! But drab reality must be faced. Let's dig into those prospectuses and sift the guff in search of gold.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/12/ken-livingstone-manifesto-london-mayor">Continue reading...</a>London mayoral election 2012SocietyLondon politicsLocal governmentUK newsLondonMayoral electionsPoliticsKen LivingstoneBoris JohnsonThu, 12 Apr 2012 10:07:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/12/ken-livingstone-manifesto-london-mayorRebecca Naden/PAKen Livingstone during the Evening Standard mayoral debate in London Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PARebecca Naden/PAKen Livingstone during the Evening Standard mayoral debate in London Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PADave Hill2012-04-12T10:07:41ZOur manifesto for a model mayor in Londonhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/manifesto-for-model-mayor-crowdsourcing
After two weeks of debate about what the next London mayor should do, here is our crowdsourced manifesto<p>Our writer and London expert Dave Hill spent two weeks hosting a series of debates on Comment is free, asking readers what their thoughts were on the next London mayoral elections' key issues: from housing to transport, the environment, cycling <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/series/manifesto-for-a-model-mayor">and more</a>. </p><p>Your reactions, ideas and suggestions were the ingredients for Comment is free's manifesto for a model mayor. Here it is (click on the document viewer's bottom-left button for full screen). Have a read and tell us what you think.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/manifesto-for-model-mayor-crowdsourcing">Continue reading...</a>London mayoral election 2012Ken LivingstoneBoris JohnsonLondon politicsTue, 27 Mar 2012 11:16:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/27/manifesto-for-model-mayor-crowdsourcingTom Shaw/Getty ImagesAfter two weeks of crowdsourcing, Dave Hill has written Comment is free's manifesto for a model mayor Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty ImagesTom Shaw/Getty ImagesThe most densely populated cities are the most efficient in terms of , says Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty ImagesDave Hill2012-03-27T11:16:00Z